Sunday Halftime Report

A rather quiet weekend around here (except for the World Cup games playing in the background). Yesterday was my sewing group (Silver Thimbles) meeting. It was great fun catching up with everyone. Becky is busy enjoying her retirement (she is also having a great giveaway! Visit her blog for your chance.) Karin shared her photos from Alaska. Cindi is going to visit her family soon and make an envious trip to Homestead Hearth. Pat, as always, was in rare form wearing a sparklingly pink crown.

I decided to work on a new (old) project from this book.
About a year ago, my mom and I split a purchase of 5" strips of Windham Fabrics "Clara Barton" fabric line. I had all the strips cut and paired to make this quilt called "Damask Rose." I thought the central cross-shape in the block reflected Clara Barton's life as founder of the American Red Cross.

So here is the first blocks I made yesterday.
The fabrics were based on items in her house and a quilt she received from veterans of the Civil War. Here's a reproduction fabric of some of the quilt blocks from the quilt.


Today was another day of staying inside to avoid the very humid, mid-90F degree weather. I am over summer already here in Atlanta and it's only mid-June! Tomorrow is supposed to be hotter (95F which means it will feel like 100+ YUCK!)
I finished sewing the borders on the Fat Quarter Shop's Designer Mystery quilt.
Hooray! Finally a finish. I probably won't be able to get it quilted anytime soon but at least this project is in the nearly finished stage.

Saturday Sewing Marathon & a Flying Pterodactyl

Saturday, I woke up early and started in catching up on some sewing. First on the agenda was catching up on the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along from Moose on the Porch.
Here are blocks 6 and 7.
Block 8 came out today so I need to get working on that one too.

Then I made block 4 from the Quilt Room's Classic Sampler. I love this BOM. The blocks are great and I use the Easy Angle ruler to make the half-square triangles. Easy peasy.

I really was feeling the need to get something finished with all these BOMs floating all over the place. I started working on the 2009 Designer Mystery Quilt finishing kit during the May Silver Thimbles meeting and it is definitely time to get this one finished. I made block 12 then started working on the center medallion.
Look at the size of that flying geese unit! 6" x 12" finished!! That's not a flying geese--that's a flying pterodactyl!!!
Anyone up for busting some major stash and making a flying pterodactyl quilt with me???? Haha!

So the cats and I worked really hard all day. Well, the cats mostly slept or sat on fabric. And here is the quilt except for the two outer borders.
A little inner border and the brown flower outer border and it will be a quilt top! S., who is holding it up in this photo, said "It's square! What can you do with a square quilt?" I said "I don't know it's just the trend now." He thinks quilts need to be rectangular. If I make a flying pterodactyl quilt, it better be rectangular.

March (BOM) Madness

I don't follow NCAA basketball at all but I participated in my own version of March Madness by working on about four BOM projects this weekend. Maybe I'll make up some brackets and try to guess which one will actually be done and quilted first....or maybe not.

Here is the finishing kit for the Fat Quarter Shop designer mystery BOM all cut and ready to be put together. Everything in little bags and labeled. Only two more blocks left in this one.
Here is the second block for the Moose on the Porch jelly roll sampler.
And thirdly, here is the first block for the Quilt Room jelly roll sampler
I bet my aunt (Hi!) can guess who this one is for (colors are green, blue and brown with little bugs :) I hope the timing is right and it will be a first b-day present next year.

For the fourth BOM (Little Quilts SSS), I got everything together and decided to wait and cut the finishing kit out tomorrow.

Hope I can keep these all straight....

Busy Life Syndrome, Jack's sister, I do remember how to quilt, and cat photos

I hope I still have readers out there. Here's a long post in case you missed me. And some cat photos because I know Karin and her furry guys have missed seeing my furry guys. I have been suffering from busy life syndrome for the past two months. I hope to get back on a regular blogging schedule right this minute. Now where did I leave off? Oh I was in Washington DC (note to self--don't wish for plane delays because you will get them!). I was supposed to leave Tuesday March 2 at 1:00 but it was snowing in Atlanta so I was delayed and then the flight was canceled and then it was rebooked and I ended up in...

Minneapolis/St. Paul.

OK look at the map. Do you see where Washington is? Now see where Atlanta is to the southwest of DC; now see where Minneapolis is?

No, I don't get it either....

Although there was snow on the ground in Minneapolis, but Northerners can handle that. Atlanta cannot handle more than 2 flakes. Really.

I had a lovely 4 hour stay at the Minneapolis airport. There are lots of great quilt designers in Minnesota. None of them were are the airport that day. Glad I brought two books to read because I finished one.

Remind me again why travel is fun?

Anyway I ended up back to Atlanta at 11PM. At least it was the same day. And there was not a bit of snow to be found. Delta apparently is not reimbursing me for the 7 hours I lost but I do thank them for getting me home.....

the long way......

Between that trip on the 2nd and today the 14th is mostly a blur of work work work. All work and no play makes me a boring blogger...
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One big bit of news arrived on March 5th via voice mail.

This is my nephew-dog Jack.

Jack is five.

Jack likes me because I bring him fancy organic dog biscuits when I travel to Michigan. I like Jack because he's a sweetie and has icy blue eyes just like Daniel Craig. Jack also has freckles on his nose (I don't know about Daniel Craig but I'll let you know if I ever meet him).

Jack now has a (human) sister as of March 5th.

And I have a niece!

My brother and SIL now are the proud parents of a little girl (who looks nothing like Jack but a lot like my brother). They have had a bit of a rough time these past nine days but everyone is doing well and hopefully will be coming home Monday or Tuesday. I'll check and see if I can post a photo but believe me, I think my niece is the most beautiful baby ever. My first job as an aunt to a human baby has been to be on the phone a lot checking up on everyone. I can do that.
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Along with slacking on blogging, I have been slacking on quilting. Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to find out I still remembered how to sew and caught up on my FQS designer mystery BOM blocks.
Three months worth! Only two more months left in the series. I better get working on the finishing kit.
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Gratuitous cat photos taken yesterday at nap time.
Morpheus and Stella.

Edgar Poe and Gomez.

Thanks for coming back!

Leftovers

Is everyone in America tired of leftovers yet? E. and I were laughing on Friday as we were heating up leftovers because we were picturing people all over the country doing the same thing. Just think about it--all the tupperware, all the foil covered dishes, trying to make gravy go from a gelatinous blob to smooth gravy again. The Thanksgiving ham has been turned leftovers, then into a casserole which lasted for meals and now it's ham and bean soup. I just have one question though, how come there is never any leftover pie by Sunday?
Here is my pecan pie which was gone by Friday and here's the sweet potato pie that was great for breakfast on Saturday.
(It's OK, I didn't have any whipped cream so it still counted as a vegetable).

No shopping for me this year. I didn't leave the house from Thursday afternoon until this morning when I went to Sbux. Loved it!!! I missed going to see Bad Melisa but I need to wait until I get that extra pay from working Thanksgiving at SBux. I got some sewing done but not nearly as much as I thought I would or as I needed to. We all vegged and watched a lot of movies and a seasons worth of "30 Rock" (laughter counts as exercise right?).

Here are the November blocks of the month that I finished just as November is leaving us. November, why are you leaving already; you just got here!!!
Little Quilts Saturday Sampler. I've never seen this block before. Isn't it neat?
And Fat Quarter Shop 2009 Designer Mystery
So tomorrow is Monday, let's all pout about having to go back to work....

Silver Thimbles Report, BOMs, and Henry V

I'm watching Henry V. I love me some Shakespeare. I think if I were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one book, I would choose my copy of The Riverside Shakespeare.

Yesterday was our monthly Silver Thimble club meeting. Here is the super fabulous new pattern by Pat and a kit to make the quilt.
As you can see, mine is still sealed in the bag because I need to finish the projects I'm working on now before I dive into this one.

I forgot to bring my camera and take photos but Pat has some great ones on her blog.

My latest project is these wonderful elongated nine-patches made from Moda's "Wildflower Serenade". The pattern is by Heather Mulder Peterson.


I received both of my BOMs in the mail on Saturday and made them today.
Here is the September block from Little Quilts
and
block #4 from the Fat Quarter Shop's 2009 mystery BOM.

I can't believe the weekend is over with already. How did it go by so fast???!!!?? It will be a short week for me as I have another Furlough Friday....

Not getting out of my pj's or the house today!

Hooray for a sewing day!! Let's sing a little song...
I am not getting out of my pj's and I'm not leaving the house today. Tra la la la la!
I am sewing sewing sewing and doing some laundry but that's about it. Ha ha ha!
OK maybe I've had a bit too much coffee.....

I worked on my two BOMs
Here's the Little Quilts Saturday Sampler block #7
I love this fabric!!! Such a yummy purple with a fab black/purple shirting. Oooo I want oodles of these fabrics but need to settle for this block because going to Little Quilts is tooooo dangerous....

and here's the Fat Quarter Shop mystery quilt block #3
Both of these blocks were challenging and I think I could have made half a jelly roll quilt in the time it took to cut and sew these blocks.

I also finally finished cutting a huge pile of Fig Tree fabric for a quilt pattern that has been hanging around since 2005. The line is called "Cornucopia" and must be at least that old...
All the fabric is cut and in a project bag ready to be sewn at some point. Hopefully it won't age too much longer.

I also sewed some quilt backs together and have three quilts all ready to go to my long-arm quilter. I am calling Peggy when she gets back tomorrow and hopefully that will be three quilts done and out of here soon to their recipients.
OK off to do more sewing!

Laundry--It's the New Fun!

Oh I am so happy to have my new dryer and while we are at it, let's all hope this is the last post about dryers, okay?
Voila, the inaugural load. So instead of spending time at the beach this summer watching the waves, I can sit in the back hall and watch laundry tumble.
Add a paper umbrella to that sweet tea--it's gonna be a wild summer!!!!!

If you can believe it, the mail today was even more exciting than the new dryer! I received two BOMs and of course had to immediately drop everything and start in on them (yes, I even missed the little chime from the dryer telling me the laundry was done).

Here is Block #2 from the Fat Quarter Shop's 2009 Designer Mystery Quilt (which I am now going to refer to as FQS09DMQ)
I love this quilt!
The next block is Block #6 from the Little Quilts Saturday Sampler
A great patriotic block for July--Martha Washington block in red, white & blue. I think I forgot to post the block from June so here it is
OK that's enough excitement for a Tuesday.

PS: In case you are wondering, no I didn't re-wash everything so I could tumble dry it.....

Well except for the bath towels....

But I only have about six so I really didn't waste that much water....

Oh the "green" guilt of it all!!! More treehugging penitence for me.

Block of the Month

I finished the first block for the Designer Mystery BOM from Fat Quarter Shop. This is a great BOM and if you haven't joined click on over to Kimberly's shop and sign up. Don't forget to get the finishing kit because you will be so happy you did when UPS brings it to you. I'll wait right here.
Wow that was a long time. What else did you buy???!!!??

Finally Friday

This week just dragged by, especially today--it was a clock watching kind of day. I knew I had a UPS package waiting for me at home from the Fat Quarter Shop.
It's the 2009 Designer Mystery BOM block one and finishing kit. The fabric is the wonderful Glace line from Moda. I am so excited to start this BOM.

It is another hot, humid, icky day here in Atlanta, which means more summertime cat poses.

Here is Stella melting into the corner of the sofa (just so you know I do have A/C that is kept at 78 degrees so it's not that bad in the house).